The multi-millionaire art tycoon accepted a police caution for grabbing the TV chef by the throat in a restaurant bust-up.

Saatchi, 70, had been quizzed at London’s Charing Cross police station for more than five hours.

Shortly after he left the station, a Scotland Yard spokesman confirmed: “A 70-year-old man attended a central London police station and accepted a caution for assault.”

Saatchi had earlier insisted he did not hurt the TV chef when he lunged at her four times during his astonishing tirade, despite pictures that showed her looking distressed, weeping and in pain.

But he changed his tune and admitted to officers he attacked 53-year-old Nigella as horrified diners looked on.

Charles Saatchi leaves his West London home (Photo: Jason Shillingford/Daily Mirror)

Saatchi was this week pictured in our sister paper the Sunday People gripping his wife’s throat, tweaking her nose and pushing her face.

Saatchi arrived home in Chelsea around 15 minutes after leaving the police station, refusing to comment.

But earlier, he insisted he had not meant to hurt Nigella and tried to brush off the row – over their teenage children – and throat-grabbing as a “tiff”.

Before he arrived at the station with a man thought to be his legal ­representative, Saatchi said: “About a week ago, we were sitting outside a restaurant having an intense debate about the children and I held Nigella’s neck repeatedly while attempting to ­emphasise my point.

“There was no grip, it was a playful tiff. The pictures are horrific but give a far more drastic and violent impression of what took place. Nigella’s tears were because we both hate arguing, not because she had been hurt.

“We had made up by the time we were home. The paparazzi were congregated outside our house after the story broke yesterday morning, so I told Nigella to take the kids off till the dust settled.”

Nigella left the family home with son Bruno, 17, and a suitcase on Sunday.

Saatchi insisted he expected his ­relationship with his wife to continue as normal within days.

But when the popular TV star’s spokesman was asked about her returning home, he gave no indication that would happen.

“We haven’t issued any statements or comment from Nigella other than to confirm that she has moved out of the family home. We haven’t added anything beyond that and do not plan to do so,” he said.

The photographer who captured the pair arguing at Scott’s restaurant in London’s Mayfair also spoke for the first time yesterday – and said the bust-up looked anything but playful.

He did not want to be named but added: “The pair did not know they were being photographed. I was completely hidden.

“It wasn’t a game, from what I saw, it was more... if that was a game it was a pretty rough game.

“I couldn’t hear what they were saying. The ­conversation and action became so worrying for the couple sitting next to them that the woman put her hands over her mouth in shock.”

The throat-grabbing snaps, taken on June 6 but printed for the first time on Sunday, sparked a storm on Twitter and other social media.

Radio presenter Jeremy Vine made ­reference to a set of photos at the same restaurant in December, where Saatchi put his hand over Nigella’s mouth to stop her talking.

He said: “Nigella, suddenly this 2012 article looks very different. Maybe not ‘playful’ at all.”

Domestic abuse campaigners say they have made official complaints to the police regarding Saatchi’s behaviour. But it is not known if Nigella has herself complained.

Hours before Saatchi, said to be worth £130million, went to the police station, a Met spokesman said: “Inquiries are in hand to establish the facts in order to assess whether an investigation is ­necessary.”

Saatchi has remained at home since his wife left. The couple live there with his 19-year-old daughter Phoebe and Nigella’s ­children with former Daily Mirror columnist John Diamond, Cosima, also 19, and Bruno.

Stunned witnesses at the restaurant where Saatchi assaulted her told how Nigella, worth £15million, had “a real look of fear on her face”.

One described the incident as “utterly shocking”, adding: “I have no doubt she was scared. It was horrific, really. She was very tearful and was constantly dabbing her eyes. Nigella was very, very upset.” Distraught Nigella left the restaurant in tears, after downing a glass of red wine.

On the morning of their meal, she tweeted a picture of her breakfast of smoked salmon and ­scrambled eggs and has subsequently sent further tweets about food – clearly unaware of the storm that was about to engulf her and her husband. Her most recent post was sent on Saturday ­lunchtime with a picture of a cup of green tea and a toasted bagel.

Despite the row, Nigella and her husband returned to Scott’s on Saturday for a meal – before the pictures came out.

They appeared to enjoy themselves and there was no aggressive behaviour as they ate outside at the same spot where the throat-grabbing took place.

Nigella and Saatchi, who made his name in ­advertising, married in September 2003.

She has previously admitted she and her husband have fiery rows and has described him as “an exploder”.

She said in 2007: “I’ll go quiet when he explodes, and then I am a nest of horrible festeringness.”